Egg-tester



W. E. TUNSTILL.

EGG TESTER.

APPLICATION FILED nac. s, 1919.

1,373,035. Patented Mar. 29,1921.

' 2 SHEETS-sham. I. 7

' .77 JMvIm/Ikcva W. E. TUNSTILL.

` EGG TESTER. 1,378,035 APPLlcATloN FILED DEC. 8..'1919. Patented Marg 2SHEETS-s115212.

r Q a Q f \1{ @Dvi/hueso UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER E. TUNSTILL, OF GORDONSVILLE, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOBERNARD C. EDWARDS, OF GORDONSVILLE, KENTUCKY.

EGG-TESTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 29, 1921.

Application filed December 8, 1919. Serial No. 343,199.

fl yo all 107mm 'it may concern.'

lle it known that I, WM/ran ll. Tuivsrinn, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Gordonsville, in the county of Logan and State oflentuclry, have invented a new and useful Egg-Tester, of which thefollowing is a specification rThis invention relates to improvements intesting devices, and it is the primary object of the invention toprovide a device of this character' having novel means to permit thesame to be operated in the daylight.

A further object of the invention is to provide electrical means incircuit with an electric lamp for supplying1 the light to the device,the electrical means being controlled automatically by the application.of an to the egg supporting table, forming a part of the device.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within thescope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

Referring to the drawing1 Figure 1 illustrates a longitudinal sec`tional view of an egg tester constructed in accordance with the presentinvention;

Fig. 2 illustrates a diagrammatical view of the electric circuit,forming a part of the invention Fig. 3 illustrates a plan view partly insection showing the egg supporting table,

together with the means for supporting the same; and

Fig. 4: illustrates a side elevational view of the egg tester, the hood'thereof being shown as moved to its inoperative position.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the device .is shown as including abody portion 5, and a hood section G hingedly connected to the bodyportion 5 by means of the hinges 7. y

This body portion comprises side walls 8, a bottom wall 9 and an endwall 10, the upper wall thereof being indicated at 11 and including ahinged section 12 connected to the portion 11 through the medium of thehinges 13, whereby the hinged section l? may be moved to open the bodyportion to permit of easy access to the interior thereof.

A partitioningr wall 14 divides the interior of the body portion 5,substantially intermediate the length thereof, to provide a lampcompartment v15 and a battery compartment 1G, the battery being shown asat 17, and supported by bracket members 18, the battery 17 being Vincircuit with the lamp 19 through the wires V2O and 21, and through theswitch member 20', the lamp 19 being supported by the` partition 111 atan angle with relation thereto, so that the light rays from the lamp 19will be directed to a point directly in line with the opening 28fornfied in the egg supporting table 23.

lt might be found practical. to connect the device with auxiliarybatteries, such as the batteries of a telephone, and to this end theconnecting posts 21 are provided, the same being supported on the bodyof the tester, and in circuit with the lamp 19.

This egg supporting table 23 closes the forward end of the lampcompartment 15, the screws 24k passing through the side walls of thebody portion, the ends thereof being positioned within the supportingtable i3 to permit the table to hinge iiujiwardly to open the lampcompartment 15 in the event that it becomes necessary to replace thelamp 19, or make other repairs to the interior thereof.

A relatively large opening 25 is provided in the table 23, which openingaceommodates the pivoted switch actuating member 26, which is hingedadjacent its lower end as at 2T, the hinge being of the type which willnormally hold the upper end of the switch actuating member in spacedrelation with the walls of the opening 25 for pur poses to behereinafter more fully described.

Formed substantially centrally of the switch actuating member 26, is thecircular opening 28, which is olf a diameter less than the diameter ofthe usual egg, to be tested by the device, the opening 28 being paddedby the felt 29, which has its ends inturned to conform to the curvatureof the walls of the opening' 28, so that an egg inserted in the openingwill contact with only the padding material thus eliminating anypossibility of breaking an egg while in the act oftesting the same.

Switch members 3() and 31 are secured to the egg supporting table 23 bymeans of the bolts 32, the nuts 33 operating on the ends ot the bolts 32acting as means for securing the terminals 34 of the wires forming apart ot the circuit, to the switch members 3() and 31, the switchmembers being shown as eX- tending across the upper end of the opening25, the ends et the switch members 30 and 31 overlying each other, thematerial oi' which the switch members 30 and 31 are formed havingcertain flexible qualities which will permit the same to normally lie inspaced relation with each other.

An adjusting screw 35 is disposed in the upper extremity of the switchactuating member 26, one extremity ot said screw 35 extending beyond theplane of the rear wall of the switch actuating member, so that the samewill, when the switch actuating member is moved to a predeterminedposition, cause the switch members 30 and 31 to be moved into engagementwith each other to complete 4an electrical circuit through the wires 20and 21, with the result that the lamp 19 is lighted, the rays from saidlamp being directed through the opening 2S of the switch actuatingmember 26.

It follows that an egg positioned in the opening 2S lies between thelight rays ot the lamp 19 and the eye of the operator, so that the eggis made practically transparent; la person operating the device mayreadily determine the condition of the egg under operation.

K In order that the device may be etliciently employed tor testing eggs,in the daylight, l have provided a hood 6 which includes a main portion36 and a right angled tapering portion 37, the same being box-like information and hingedly connected to the body 5, as before stated so thatthe same may be moved to its inoperative position, when not in use, butwhen in use the device is moved to a position as indicated by Fig. 1 ofthe drawings, in which position the tapering portion 37 is in a linewith the lightrays from the lamp 19 to permit the operator to readilyobserve an egg supported by theegg supporting table 23.

Supported on the lower extremity of the hood 6, is a cloth-likeattachment 38 provided with a hand opening 39 so that the opera-tor mayinsert an egg through the opening 39, the walls of said opening closelyengaging the wrist or" the operator to exclude light from the 'interiorof the hood 6, thus giving the operator the full advantage of the lightrays of the lamp 19.

To further insure against light enteringthe hood 6, while in operation,a removable eye shade 40 is provided, which shade einbodies the arms Ll1 secured to the base l2 of the shade, the arms l1 being supported insuch relation with each other, that the same will closely engage theinner side walls of the hood G. whereupon the shade 40 is securedagainst displacement.

From the foregoing it is obvious that in operation it is only necessarytor the operator to insert an egg through the opening 21,9 ot theattachment 38, that is, when the device is used in daylight, whereuponthe is positioned within the opening 2S ot the switch actuating member2G. vIt Vfollows that slight pressure on the egg causes the switchactuating member to move` bringing the adjusting screw 35 into contactwith one of the switch members 30 3l. with the result that the switchmembers 30 31 are moved into engagement with each other, to coinpletethe electrical circuit, and cause the lighting of the lamp 19.

It is of course obvious that when the device is used in a darkened room,the hood 6 may be dispensed with, the tester being used in a position asindicated by Fig. Al ot the drawings.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

n an egg tester, a body portion, a partition dividing the body portioninto a lamp compartment, and a battery compartment` the lamp compartmenthaving` inclined .torward walls, a hinged egg supporting table iaving `acentral opening and carrying a switch member. a switch actuating memberadapted to Close the opening in the egg supporting table, said switchactuating member having an egg receiving openingand carrying anadjusting' screw providing a switch member to complete a circuit, a lampin the lamp compartment controlled by the switch. a hood sectionpivotally connected to one end of the body portion, an eye shadedisposed in one end of the hood. and said switch adapted to be actuatedby an egg placed in the egg opening.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto atlixedmy signature in the presence of two 'itnesses TALTER E. TUNSTILL.

lVitnesses W. O. RonrNsoN, B. B. EDWARDS.

